


Sonnenstrahl

by Lunan95



Series: Assets and Liabilities AU [2]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alernate Universe - Gertrude Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Canon-Typical Horror, Canon-Typical The Beholding Content (The Magnus Archives), Canon-Typical The Spiral Content (The Magnus Archives), Canon-Typical The Stranger Content (The Magnus Archives), Drama, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Horror, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Mystery, Romance, Season 2 AU, and his effing doors, because MICHAEL is here, because of Not-Them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26852611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunan95/pseuds/Lunan95
Summary: The long awaited sequel ofAssets and Liabilities!We follow the story as Gertrude attempts to solve the mystery of Jenny Blackwood's disappearence and what connection she may have with the Magnus Institute. Meanwhile Jon grows suspicious of the head archivist, concerned if he can trust her.Martin worries for his wellbeing and is slowly losing hope about finding his sister while Tim and Sasha catches up with their old friend Dave from Research...or is it really Dave? Darkness looms over London and something sinister is in the shadows, waiting for the proper moment to strike.
Relationships: Adelard Dekker/Mikaele Salesa, Gertrude Robinson & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Gerard Keay & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Sasha James/Tim Stoker (implied)
Series: Assets and Liabilities AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1848193
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> IT'S HERE. After so much planning, the long awaited sequel is finally here! Holy shit, it's been almost three months since part 1 was concluded and there is so much shit going down, I'm actually very excited and hyped up for this. In short, the story continues and this is where things get very exciting.
> 
>  **Recap:** Gertrude is absolutely not dead and the details about that is unknown, but she have four assistants in Jon, Martin, Tim and Sasha. Elias only exist, seemingly to be a pain in the arse. Dekker is also alive and assistants Gertrude, both in the professional manner and...looking after her messy assistants. Contrary to what she's done before, Gertrude sees her new assistants as a new chance to improve things. But then Prentiss looms as threat and attacks when they least expect it while Gertrude investigates the mystery of Martin's lost younger sister and Dekker suspects the Extinction perhaps have already emerged. However, the Stranger lurks in the shadows and makes a most unpredicable move...
> 
> But yeah, this is where things get exciting! Let's get this bread!

_ The Archives of the Magnus Institute, London. 1998 _

“Have you lost your jacket, Michael?” Eric asked when the youngest of them entered the archives one morning, the iconic color block jacket was missing from its owner.

Michael gave an apologetic smile. “Something like that, yes. I think it might’ve gotten lost in the dry cleaner.”

“Why don’t you get a new one?” Sarah suggested. “That thing was pretty old anyway.”

Michael hummed in thought. “I have considered it, although I was very attached to my jacket. Well, maybe it has a new owner now? Maybe someone who needs it more than me!”

“Kinda odd to see you without it though…” Eric muttered while he sought inside a box, looking for a certain statement. “Hm, I could swear I just had it.”

“By the way, lads. I made this last week. Thoughts?” Emma suddenly said and showed a ragdoll in her hands. Michael took a double look at it, frowning.

The ragdoll was cute, but it looked like…

It was a girl; the hair was made of orange yarn with twin braids and brown, button eyes. The face showed a smile with freckles, three at each cheek. The clothes were neatly made; a blue denim overall skirt with a yellow shirt under and grey stockings with tiny rain boots.

“Whoa...it’s so detailed, Emma!” Eric exclaimed as he checked out the little dolls in his hands. “Maybe my little boy would like some new toys...how did you come up with it?”

“Oh, I just dreamed about a little girl who looked like this and I decided to use it as inspiration!” Emma grinned. “I’m really satisfied about how it turned out. I had another dream about a different kid, so I’m gonna make another one.”

“You like it, Michael?” Sarah asked their resident blonde, once she was done with fawning over the cute doll. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

Michael held it in his hands, a soft expression on his young features. “...yes, I think I love it. It’s really funny, this doll looks exactly like a kid I met not too long ago.”

Unbeknownst to him, there was a flicker of vast interest in Emma’s dark eyes. Curiosity burned in her again, the desire to know. “Did you catch her name?”

Michael never looked at his co-worker, but at the little doll as he recalled the name. The name of a little girl he grew fond of, even if they knew each other for just a few hours.

_ “Jenny.” _


	2. The Story Continues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We continue where we left off. Gertrude is determined to solve the mystery of Jenny Blackwood while Dekker has left for the USA to takehome Gerry Keay after his successful recovery from brain cancer. Meanwhile, Jon is distrustful ever since he overheard that Gertrude had lost her previous assistants before them. Tim, Sasha and Martin are healing up after their latest trauma. Neither of them are processing well.

_ The Magnus Institute, London. September 2016 _

“Don’t you think it’s kinda quiet today?”

“It’s rather calm. It won’t last long because Tim is coming in tomorrow, to enjoy while it lasts.” Gertrude retorted. “I can handle Jon well enough, but Stoker is a force to be reckoned with.”

Sasha snorted and Martin tried to cough away a laughter into his arm. “Yeah, he’s something.” She agreed.

“Either way,” Gertrude said as she opened a folder with Jon’s handwriting “Obviously Fake”. Ugh, has he trashed another statement because he was still in thick denial about the supernatural? “Martin, I’m going to need a strong cup of tea.”

Martin nodded eagerly and hurried away. He was always happy that she appreciated his tea.

Any sensible human being, avatar or human, should appreciate tea, Gertrude thought. 

In that case, Jon needs to learn to become more sensible then.

* * *

The next day was when the real work began. Tim came in with four take-away cups of Starbucks, grinning like their personal sunshine. 

“Goooood morning, ladies and gents!” He sang. “How are we on this fine morning, Sasha?”

“Nice try, still no date.” Sasha smirked and grabbed her cup. 

Tim sighed dramatically. “That was worth a try. Marto, you wanted a chai latte, right?”

Martin accepted his cup and then frowned. “Thanks-wait...didn’t you buy anything for Gertrude?”

“I texted her, she refused to have any Starbucks. And I thought Jon was gonna be the one to refuse these.”

Gertrude walked into the archives. “If I wanted to poison myself, Tim, I’d rather drink some decent coffee instead of that sugar bomb.”

Sasha cackled at Tim’s dumbfounded look. “She got you there!”

“Sasha, love of my life. Shut up.” Tim returned with an overly cheerful attitude. “Where’s Dekker? Someone gotta defend my honor.”

“Dekker’s left for the United States.” Gertrude said simply. 

Tim was in uproar. “What?! Without saying goodbye to ME?!”

“He’ll be back soon and bring you a playmate, you can survive two, three days without him.” Gertrude shot back. “By the way, you should get to work. Sasha told me you’re somewhat of an “obsessive expert” about the architect Robert Smirke?”

Tim lit up like a lightbulb and Martin suspected he might actually power up the Archives. “Oh, if I am!”

* * *

Meanwhile, Jon sat alone inside the office he shared with Gertrude. He decided to take his chance while she was discussing some cases with the others.

He had gotten his hands on a separate tape recorder, using it for his own “investigations”. Or supplementals as he called them.

“I’ve been going into the tunnels.” He muttered in the tape recorder. “It’s...There are, uh...Jane Prentiss is dead. I know this. I have a small jar on my desk of what are supposed to be her ashes, though I don’t believe it for a second.”

Jon narrowed his eyes. “I think Martin just gave me a jar of dust to try and calm me down. Give me something to focus on for closure. I hate to say it, but it does appear to be working. A victory for the placebo effect, it would seem.” He looked around the archives, briefly pausing before he kept going.

“But that’s beside the point. The worms have been cleared and incinerated, the floors and walls repaired, and the archive looks remarkably like it was never attacked at all.  _ Unlike me _ .”

He continued, voicing his suspicions about his co-workers. Tim discovered the tunnels during Prentiss’ attack. Martin got lost in them and was found some hour later after their separation, rambling about someone he found in the tunnels. Without evidence. Sasha was the only one who didn’t know about the tunnels or was with them during the siege.

Gertrude seemed to know about the tunnels, which was the main reason for his suspicion (paranoia was stretching it). For what he found out, she had assistants before them and all of them vanished.

“For whatever reason, Gertrude is keeping something from us and I will find out what it is. Especially if it puts our lives at risk. End recording.”

* * *

Tim looked at his reflection in Sasha’s little makeup mirror. “I think I can pull it off. It doesn’t look that bad!”

“Tim, you have scars after the worms!” Martin looked nauseous. “How can you deal with it so well?”

“I cope with traumatic stuff by not thinking about it and looking at vines totally helps!”

Sasha raised an eyebrow. “Anyways, can I have my mirror back if Prince Charming is done with admiring himself?”

“Sure, sure.” Tim handed back the little mirror. “I’m quite lucky that the bloody worms didn’t ruin my charming good looks. These look nearly as good as Martin’s freckles!”

“What charming good looks?” Sasha rolled her eyes. “I can still see your face.”

“Rude!” Tim mocked a fake gasp. “Martin, you don’t agree with her, do you?”

Martin shrugged, his mind was actually on other things than Tim’s marks. “Well…” 

“I can’t believe it!” Tim exclaimed. “I am betrayed by my very own mates to top that!”

“That aside...Sasha, how are you doing?” Martin tried to change the subject. “I know you weren’t attacked by the worms like Tim and Jon, but…”

“I’m fine.” Sasha suppressed a shiver when she thought about the wave of worms that separated her from Elias when they pulled off the fire alarm. “Already gave a statement to Jon about it, he seemed really insistent to take it.” She said when she thought back to what happened a couple of months ago. “Oh, Tim! You’ll never guess who I ran into when I was about to take shelter in Artefact Storage!”

That perked up Tim’s attention. “Who?” He asked curiously.

“Dave Cavanaugh. You remember him, right? Black hair, brown eyes. Very eighties fashion style.”

Tim grinned. “Oh, hiiiim! Yeah, I remember him. I used to drink with him back when we were in Research. Great guy.”

“We should connect with him again, you know.” Sasha suggested. “Jon keeps declining my offers for drinks out and that place I really wanna go has a weird rule about four people in a booth, not less.”

“Besides, I bet Dave has some juicy gossip about David the prick at Research.”

“He’s not a prick, Tim!” Sasha laughed.

“Yes, David is a prick. Remember when he came to the Library when we were chatting with Marto back then and he was so snooty about his pride pin?” Tim gestured to Martin who flushed. 

Sasha paused and smirked. “Okay, yeah. He’s a prick.”

“Guys…” Martin muttered, still embarrassed. “David is the head of Research-”

Tim shook his head with a dramatic sigh. “My dear Martin. He’s a prick with some privileges. Not even Elias Douchard has ever complained about your pride pins.”

“Probably his only redeeming quality.” Sasha grinned. “By the way, Martin. Wasn’t Dave…-not David the Research head, Tim. Our Dave! Yeah, wasn’t our Dave friends with your sister?”

Martin’s attention was alerted. “Jenny?”

“Yes, we remember her. Tiny, freckles with red hair. Like you, but if your hair was like orange cotton candy.”

“I know who my sister is, Tim!” Martin snapped without meaning to. “...s-sorry. I didn’t meant to-”

Sasha patted his shoulder with a sad and sympathetic smile. “I know, I probably should’ve thought twice before mentioning her. But you know...she can’t be gone forever. What if she’s just lost and is trying to find her way back?”

“I don’t know…” Martin said slowly. “I haven’t even heard back from police about that. Maybe...maybe she won’t come back. At all. Maybe I just need to...move on.”

Neither Tim or Sasha knew what to say about it. No comfort would be good enough in this matter. It’s been nearly a year since she vanished. If Martin is losing hope to ever see his sister again, then perhaps it means that Jenny is truly lost forever.

“Probably should be thankful that Prentiss never got her, though…” Martin added bitterly with a forced smile.

* * *

Before Dekker left for America to take Gerry home, he left Gertrude with what he had regarding the missing girl.

_ “I know it’s not much to go on, but according to this Dave Cavanaugh, she had an evening part-time job here at the Institute. He also suspected she had an...erm, romance growing with Bouchard. But well, innocent until proven guilty.” _

Gertrude didn’t believe Elias was completely innocent in this. If he had an agenda about Jenny Blackwood, that remained to be seen.

For now, she was far more interested in what kind of evening part-time job she had.

_ Inofficial Paranormal Investigator. Main task; recover suspected artefacts.  _

Gertrude narrowed her eyes at the document. “I see…” She said slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know this is ridiculously late! But I had a lot going on, like fighting my insomnia which might be in control now and I had some assignments to finish off in school. Not to mention, I'm prepping for my Nature Science test in early November. XD
> 
> Anyways, here is the first real chapter of _Sonnenstrahl_. I'll try to update every week if I can, so keep an eye out for upcoming chapters! Since keeping up a "certain update day" schedule is apparently hard enough, I'm sticking to "weekly update" and see if that works.
> 
> Enjoy!


	3. In the Darkest Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon explores the tunnels beneath the Archives, without Gertrude’s consent. He is very afraid while he’s down there, but pushing against his fear to know what’s going on. Gertrude finds a never-see-before statement from a former assistant, which gives her more relevant clues about Martin's sister.

Jon couldn’t sleep tonight.

He twisted and turned in his bed, in his silent apartment and there were so many questions in his mind. He needed answers, he needed to understand. He must know what was going on and what was to happen next.

What could Gertrude possibly be hiding? Back when that police officer asked about her previous assistants, she seemed more irritated and refused to answer. Was it personal? Did something happen to them, one after another?

Prentiss attacking the Archives couldn't have been a coincidence. Of every place to attack, why the Archives and not at the director himself? 

And this happened when Gertrude wasn't in the Archives...which means Prentiss took her chance when she knew Gertrude was not there to protect them.

This woke up the question on his mind, what truly happened to the other assistants?

Jon knew he needed answers and if he weren’t gonna get answers from Gertrude at all, then he’d better go back to explore the tunnels. There was a chance he might’ve missed something…

Besides, maybe there was some truth in Martin telling about a strange hobo in the tunnels?

* * *

Dekker was still not back with Gerard, which didn’t surprise Gertrude in the slightest. The Americans could be bothersome with all their laws about migration and what else. But Dekker was more than capable of handling this.

Jon was still acting on edge, but that was probably just a phase. He’ll get over it soon.

Tim was acting like nothing happened, he was still the same happy-go-lucky person as usual. Gertrude strongly suspected he used humor as a coping mechanism, but it was a welcome relief to see how strong he came out of that little event.

Sasha could count herself lucky to be here at all. Gertrude didn’t regret that she managed to stop the foolish girl from going inside the Artefact Storage, where that table happened to be. 

Yes, it was strange how that table got delivered here after Adelard lost track of it. But now was not the time to ponder what move the Stranger was pulling on her; it was too dangerous to approach it without a solid plan and she knew that she better keep her assistants in sight until they’ve gotten rid of that thing.

Martin may have no physical injuries, but Gertrude knew too well what mental trauma could do. Nevertheless, he seemed to do just fine. He made the investigation she tasked him, he made tea and she always appreciated it. 

Sometimes, Martin reminded her of a former assistant she once had. With all the experiences she had before the arrival of her new assistants, it made her realize that sometimes you shouldn’t sacrifice everything for the greater good.

And she was tired of not being able to trust anyone after...that wrench. Nothing goes on forever either, she supposed.

Then there was the mystery about his sister. Reading about neglected children being cast into the Web was always an unsettling thing. But this girl had survived which wasn’t a small feat. But now it seemed like she had something to do with Elias, which alerted her. 

Elias was useless as usual, when it came to asking questions about the girl. But one thing she managed to get out of him was how the director became cold and stiff about Jenny Blackwood. 

He didn’t want her to find out about young Blackwood. Wasn’t it funny, how someone so smug and seemingly untouchable could have a thing to fear? It was pretty obvious that Jenny Blackwood meant more for him than her brother, his actual employee.

However, she needed to gather her thoughts and consider her next move. Finding the girl was one mission. Stopping the Unknowing was another, more pressing matter and she couldn’t neglect that either.

* * *

“Supplemental,” Jon whispered in his tape recorder. That day, he had faked going home from work and stayed hidden until he knew everyone was gone for the day which included Gertrude. “I’ve been watching Martin. He’s been very attentive to my needs and recovery since I returned to work, almost to the exclusion of his own tasks.”

He voiced his concerns and suspicions about his ginger co-worker into the recording tape, speaking about how Martin moved from the archives which granted him more chance to dig around the place when everyone had gone home. 

“-and not only that, but I have been hearing rumors that he has a sister. Previously, I had no knowledge that he had a sister at all, considering how little he speaks of his private life. Could it be that he doesn’t want to disclose information about himself? It is possible. However, I have dug around for any suspicious belongings he may have left behind.”

He continued. “Also because he managed to leave some of his possessions behind, for the most part it’s just a few books of relatively awful poetry. There are a few pieces I feel could almost have been affecting if his style wasn’t so obviously enamoured with Keats,” He remarked with a disdain for the mentioned author. “But there is an unfinished letter addressed to his mother in Devon, in which he mentions that he is worried about “the others finding out I’ve been lying”.  
  


_Lying_. 

  
About what, exactly? Jon felt the urge to know, to uncover this new mystery. “It may be nothing, some inconsequential deception or other - after all, it is ostensibly written to his mother - but if it was actually to be sent to someone else… I will keep my eye on Martin.”  
  


“End supplement.” He finished off.  
  


* * *

**_  
_**“Case 9991113 . Michael Shelley. A young girl and his experience regarding a “spider person”, chasing them in a forest in Northern England, 1999. Statement given 13th of November, 1999. Committed to tape 14th of September, 2016. Gertrude Robinson recording.”

Gertrude started recording in the order she always did and now when she had finally found the statement she sought, the official investigation of Jenny Blackwood could begin.

“This is a statement of a girl I met up in Northern England, when I was sent by Gertrude to investigate an abandoned house. I thought it was odd to just send me right up there, but I never complained and I like to do some good use for the head archivist.

I came to the village pretty late, it was nearly evening by the time I had settled in the inn and I decided to take a stroll by the forest nearby. I planned to investigate the next morning, but now I’m just glad that I changed my mind.

What happened within less than ten minutes was I heard a child screaming and without thinking, I set off into the woods. The thought of running to the police didn’t even cross me, all I could think of was a child was in danger or lost. 

I collided into a little girl and even looking at me, she gave a shriek of terror and tried to scramble away from me. I held onto her and told her that I wasn’t dangerous. As soon I said I heard her crying and she started to calm down, but not enough to cry about a spider circus and...someone they took. 

Anyone would’ve seen that as a child’s imagination had run too wild and I almost did, until what I saw emerging from the shadows and I couldn’t believe my own eyes.

There, I saw a tall figure with far too many eyes glowing red and arms with razor sharp claws, clad in a ringleader’s garments and a top hat. I stood there, holding the child in my arms and my legs felt heavy as lead, nearly glued to the ground. 

The girl in my arms started to cry hysterically and it was more than enough to set me off, running from the horrible thing who started to chase us. I had never known such cold fear in me, nearly turning my blood to ice and a dreadful feeling pool in my stomach. 

I just kept running with the child in my arms, I was too terrified to even try to look behind myself and it can’t have been far away from us, it felt like it was inches from catching us both. It spoke, an awful hissing about the girl...that I could just hand over her and I’ll walk free.

Sometimes it hid in the shadows of the tall trees and...toyed with us when I was desperate to find a way out of those terrible woods. It kept speaking directly to me, trying to make me release the girl. 

Call me a fool, but I refused. What confused me more was this...thing kept calling her “the watcher’s bride”. I just said I didn’t know any watcher and I won’t let them have the child, not in a million years. Not even when they got angered and threatened to rip and tear me in bloody pieces.

I don’t know how, but I eventually found the way back. I think there was something about the girl because she pointed in a direction and I may be imagining things, but I could swear that I heard...static in the air.

But the thing was long gone behind us, I stood outside the forest, still holding the little girl in my arms, and waiting. Just waiting...but it never came. It was so quiet, I could hear the crickets again and the wind rustling the tree leaves. 

I just told the police I found the girl lost in the woods, scared and possibly traumatized. I could’ve said anything about the “weird” thing I saw. But...who would believe me? The worst part is I knew I couldn’t tell any of this to my co-workers at the Archives. Eric, Sarah or Emma...not even Gertrude would believe me, I think.”

Gertrude sighed as she ended the “statement”. “Final comments; I was surprised when Sasha found this statement, hidden behind some file cabinet and one that my former assistant once submitted. I must say he made a statement without my knowledge as I haven’t seen this one before.” 

Gertrude paused before she continued voicing her thoughts. 

As for the child which I suspect is Jenny Blackwood, she may be marked by the Web if the “spider person” is possibly a monster ruled by that nefarious entity that feeds on children. Disgusting business.” She frowned as Gertrude had many reasons to hate the Web. “However, I’m more interested that this girl escaped the Web in one piece by the time Michael found her and judging how she instantly knew the way out of the forest despite being lost...she could be of the Beholding. It makes sense why Elias would keep information about their intimate connection hidden from my knowledge. Jenny Blackwood must indeed be something special.”

Gertrude ended the recording there and gathered her thoughts. 1999, it would’ve been a rather insignificant year to be honest. For what she could recall, Michael hadn’t shown any sign of something amiss happened during his little trip up north. But Emma was very interested in where he went and what happened.

A fire of hatred burned in her. Had she known? Was Emma involved at all? And then there was what this spider person called the girl. 

_ The watcher’s bride.  _

Perhaps she should come with the statement and ask Elias, just to see him sweat. Obviously he’s trying to hide something and Gertrude, who barely had any leverage on him, wanted to see what made him tick.

Once Dekker returned with Gerard in tow, Gertrude had a little thought about pairing the latter with Sasha. Maybe send them to investigate the missing girl and her whereabouts?

Granted, she would’ve sent Jon on such an important mission. But he was having currently a paranoid phase, so she needed to make sure he wasn’t endangering himself by being stupid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm horribly late about this chapter and it had been more than half-done in my documents for a while, to be honest. The reason for being late is that it's been very hectic with schoolwork and what else. But I'm hoping to get to weekly updates soon.
> 
> This chapter were very Jon or Gertrude-centric. Really, just a filler chapter but it was necessary. :3 Because the fun is about to start soon...
> 
> >:)
> 
> -Lunan


	4. Inside Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon finds out about Gertrude’s former assistants before him and the others. Paranoid for his life, he enlists the help of one Constable Basira Hussain in the police force and gains some inside information. While this is going on, Martin feels uncomfortable about Dave, who is his sister’s best friend, for some reason. Tim and Sasha don't help the case and believes Martin is suffering from trauma. But something isn't quite right...

Martin knew Dave, he had worked in the library and naturally, he knew the majority of the researchers up there. But something just didn’t feel...right.

He could swear that Dave had dark hair, but it feels like he’s always been a blonde.  _ ‘Is it possible to forget how your peers look?’  _ Martin thought to himself.

Suddenly he felt awful. How could he consider himself as a good friend if he forgot the faces of his friends? Besides, it was Jenny’s best friend. He needed to pay some attention.

Yes, he was probably just neglectful. Of course Dave had always been blonde with blue eyes, a straight nose and dressed in a hard-pressed shirt with a tie. How could he forget that?

Tim and Sasha had a lovely time to reconnect with him. Of course they had, they knew Dave. They were friends with him before all of them transferred to the archives.

“Say, how is Jon nowadays? We barely see him at all so everything thinks he’s become the ghost that haunts the archives.” Dave asked as they were out on drinks.

Jon had once again declined to join their “happy hour” on the Fridays again, which disappointed Martin. He’s been strange since Prentiss’ attack on the institute. But he’s given him some weird looks.

Tim laughed. “He might just become our little archive ghost, Joe Spooky!”

“Stooooker, Tim Stooooker!” Sasha imitated a ghost’s wailings. “Where is the following up on Jimmy Magmaaaa?”

Tim and Sasha broke down in hysterical laughter while Martin just smiled behind a drink, chuckling slightly at their antics. Yes, that never grew old.

Dave snickered. “And I assume “Jimmy Magma” is a joke about Jonah Magnus?”

“But of course!” Tim smirked. “I swear, that portrait of our “esteemed founder” as Elias keeps referring to it! It just stares at me whenever I pass it.”

Sasha laughed at him. “Aw, is little whittle Tim Stoker scared of the big bad Jonah Magnus portrait?” She mocked him and helped herself another ale.

“Oh, piss off, Sash!” Tim shot back and downed his drink. “You then, Martin? Surely that portrait is unsettling, yeah?”

“Um…” Martin said and tried to find a suitable answer. Dave’s stare sure was intimidating… “Kinda? I never really pay any attention to it, though.”

“Jenny sure liked it, I remember.” Sasha said. “One time when we had a hangout at Martin’s old place, she said she'd seen the portrait and it made her feel stuff.”   
  


“What stuff?” Martin asked, he didn’t quite remember that one. Had he been distracted that time to pay any attention to what his sister said?

“Y’know, stuff. I never asked what, to be honest.” Sasha shrugged. “Did she say anything about that, Dave?”

“Honestly, it was a long time ago and I don’t quite remember.” Dave said and smiled. Although, Martin somehow felt that the smile was...out of place.

Martin looked down at his drink, questioning himself. Was he already drunk?

* * *

Jon was working late, again.

As much he’d love to join the happy hour Tim invited him to, he couldn’t afford it until he knew for sure that he could trust his co-workers. 

While he was sure that perhaps none of them would go as far to kill him, he didn’t know if he could trust them. 

He wouldn’t blame Martin of course, but the whole “thing” started with him being stalked by Prentiss and now, he didn’t know what was right or wrong. He couldn’t trust Gertrude for sure, but who said the others might be aware of whatever she was hiding?

Jon couldn’t trust Gertrude when he knew now that she had assistants before and all of them had either vanished or died.

He had gathered as much information he could find without Gertrude suspecting him. Yes, it meant that he went behind her back. But he needed to find out the truth and he was prepared to take any measures for it.

The sun had set long ago and the archives were dark, empty. He sat alone inside the office and opened the folder he managed to find earlier (yes, he had to pick the lock at Gertrude’s desk drawers).

Now he had the full list of the former assistants and he eagerly read it, curious about what kind of valuable information he’d find.

As of 1969, the assistants were sorted in alphabetical order with surnames first. Delano, Eric. Harvey, Emma. Law, Fiona. 

Eric Delano, the only one with an actual degree in informative science, quit his job in 1991, the reason was retirement. Jon also noticed that he vanished not too long afterwards...how suspicious. Jon found in Gertrude’s notes that she had sought after him, but Delano was lost and presumed dead. What was even more noticeable was that he was married to one Mary Keay. Delano was replaced by one Sarah Carpenter.

Next, Fiona Law was an assistant to the archivist before Gertrude and apparently, inherited her. She apparently died by liver failure in 2003, but the doctors couldn’t find the cause it seems. However, she was replaced by one Michael Shelley.

He continued on Sarah Carpenter. This one only lasted five years, he soon discovered and the death cause was...burned to ashes? No cause or explanation was given, she was basically already cremated.

The odd thing was Sarah died apparently around the same time Michael Shelley vanished, in October 2008. Her cause of death was being burned inside her own apartment, victim of an accidental fire.

Jon stared at the files. Vanished, gone or dead. 

He had a reason to suspect that there were more behind their fates than just a disappearance or death. With the experience of Prentiss and...a certain book in childhood, Jon understood that he was probably in a greater danger than when he was a simple researcher upstairs.

Why...why had Gertrude chosen just them? Did she want to replace her previous failures and pretend everything is fine? Or did she had an ulterior motive, a certain plan for them?

It was possible…

* * *

“But it feels like I don’t know him!” Martin protested. “I know, it’s my sister’s best friend…”

“We just don’t hang around him so much!” Tim replied back. “Come on, Martin. We’re basically isolated from the rest of this place in the basement, so we gotta get out! Go meet friends. Have a life!”

Martin sighed, something just felt...not right. “Maybe it’s just Prentiss haunting my mind again, but something feels...weird.”

“You’re sure it’s not because of all the trauma in the past year?” Sasha asked and leaned her head at the side. “I mean, it’s been hell of a year, hasn’t it?”

“I’ll drink to that!” Tim grinned and downed another shot. “And yeah, Dave’s always been kinda weird. That’s why we’re friends with him, right?”

Martin wanted to protest and while his mind reasoned with him that Dave has always been like that, something just didn’t feel...quite right. 

* * *

It went a couple of weeks after that and Martin eventually shook off the strange feeling that bothered him, blaming on a combination of the trauma and drinking with Tim. 

Jon was still bothersome, this time he’s been caught staring at them for an unreasonable amount of time and then denies he did it minutes before. He was the odd one here, if anything.

“He’s staring again!” Tim whispered and tried to ignore the heat of Jon’s eyes at his neck. “He’s acting like I’m unfaithful to him or something!”

“Just ignore it, Tim. He’s...coping, I guess.” Sasha muttered back to him while she made research on her desk computer. “You use humor as coping, he...I don’t know what he’s doing, but it seem to help-”

“Help?! I swear, he’s getting worse like this!” Tim whispered harshly back to his best friend and deskmate. “The other day, I just asked for a pen and he kept asking what I needed the pen for and why didn’t I have my own pens. It’s not my fault Martin keeps forgetting to give back the pens after he writes his poetry!”

Sasha sighed frustrated. “I know you’re on edge, but so are all of us. He’s been anxious since the Prentiss attack and-”

“What are you two whispering about?” Jon was back after a quick bathroom break. His hair looked uncharacteristically unruly, a far cry from a half year ago when they began their work here, and dressed in the same clothes since Monday.

Tim fumbled for an answer to the question he hadn’t prepared himself for yet. “Well, we’re-”

“Comparing notes for the Ramao case. You know, the one we should’ve investigated and instead got attacked by Prentiss.” Sasha answered confidently without blinking. “I thought it was better that I went to ask Mr. Ramao about his missing husband while Tim try to find out who originally owned that homophobic vase.”

Jon was apparently not prepared for a well-thought answer. “Oh...good work. I’m going to see if…” His eyes shifted towards Martin’s empty place and then back to the office. “...if Gertrude need any help...yes.” 

With that, he vanished inside the office he shared with Gertrude.

“Yeah, he’s definitely spying on us.” Tim continued.

“Well, you haven’t given him a reason to trust you yet. You just come busting through the wall like a Kool-Aid-Man and talk about tunnels, of course he’s gonna be paranoid about that underground system beneath us.”

Tim shrugged, seemingly dropping it. “Just saying it again, he needs a life instead of working all the time.”

“I’m pretty sure he’d live on statements here in the archives if Gertrude didn’t kick him out every day at five.” Sasha snickered.

* * *

“Most of us seem to have forgotten, but of course I remember Jennifer Blackwood, she was such a good student here at King’s College.”

Gertrude nodded. “I’m sure she was, which is why I’m curious why she suddenly quit in the middle of the term.”

Dr. Elliot nodded. “Ah yes, I was her mentor back then before I took over for that...anatomy class. An extraordinary girl, very talented. But overly curious and always hungry for knowledge, I might have only encouraged her more. Never wrong with a little knowledge, I used to tell her. But that was why I found it so odd and hard when she suddenly withdrew from the term, in the middle of October that year!”

“And didn’t you contact her to find out the reason?”

“Oh, naturally I did!” Dr. Elliot assured her. “Her answer was that she had found a fine job in a very academic field and she didn’t need a second term in library science. I was disappointed, naturally. But also very proud of her. Besides, she also talked as if she’s never been happier in her life.”

Gertrude grew suspicious. Yes, she could imagine what made miss Blackwood so happy...especially if it had to do with Elias. “She didn’t mention where she was working?”

“Hm...let’s see, I think I paid a visit not long ago, but I didn’t see her there at all. I could be wrong, but I think she said the Magnus Institute.” Dr. Elliot pondered thoughtfully. “But I’m sure if you ask around, someone perhaps knows of her whereabouts and could tell you where she’s gone.”

“Oh yes, I will remember that.” Gertrude nodded, never dropping the facade of a worried, old woman.

“A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Robinson. But I can’t remember if miss Blackwood mentioned a great aunt she was close with?”

“Oh, we don’t go around and talk about extended family members.” Gertrude said politely. “Not exactly professional in academic purposes, I suppose.”

Dr Elliot shook his head. “No, that’s true. Thank you for your time.”

“No, the pleasure is all mine.” Gertrude smiled, cunningly like a fox. But not that Jenny’s former lecturer noticed that.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jon had managed to get his own piece of inside information while his investigation abilities differed vastly from Gertrude.

He had just taken a live statement from constable Basira Hussain about the infamous Section 31 in the police force. It has been very informative, regardless and Jon gave his word on the non-closure agreement. Then the subject fell on the mysterious disappearances of Gertrude’s former assistants.

“You mean all of them had either died and vanished while working for your boss?” Basira asked.

“Well, yes...I mean, it’s a little strange that there is no logical explanation why they have either burned to ashes or died by a “liver failure” without explaining the cause.”

“Or the lack of any medical records about said liver failure.” Basira continued.

Jon nodded. “Yes, that too.” There was a long silence. “So...what do you think?”

“Well, I’ve recently heard your boss, Gertrude Robinson, has made calls and asked for information about any “Jennifer Blackwood”.” Basira began. “Considering there’s nothing else to the name than a child’s trauma of seeing a dead body, it’s odd why she’d want information about a currently missing young adult.”

Jon frowned, hearing the name for the first time. “J-Jennifer Blackwood…? Could it be…”

“Could it be what?”

Jon shook his head. “I suppose there’s many with the name Blackwood? I mean...it doesn't have to necessarily mean Martin has something to do with that. Well...considering the surname.”

Basira narrowed her eyes in thought. “This missing Jennifer Blackwood is related to one Martin Blackwood. Younger sibling, reported missing since November 2015.”

“Perhaps it’s related?”

“I’ll look into it. The report of the missing Blackwood is placed under Section 31, it was labeled as “weird” and the reason why we haven’t had any improvement.” Basira nodded. 

Jon was then struck by a thought, a question burned in his mind and needed the answer. “May I perhaps ask...why is this certain missing person sectioned?”

Basira looked like she hesitated to answer, but eventually she did. “Because according to a witness report, the last place she was seen was this place. The Magnus Institute.”

“Who did that report?” Jon blurted out. It can’t have been Martin, right?

“Hm, I was never into that case. But I think it was some Bouchard.”

  
Jon’s eyes widened.  _ “Elias...?” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, my updates are late and this is because this is a very hectic time right now. Currently working on the schoolwork I have left to do before winter break Christmas and all that jazz. Yeah, very busy time. But I try to make some time to work on my stories, so be patient.
> 
> So! Both Gertrude and Jon get their piece of inside information, duing their different investigations. Martin feels the effects of the Stranger and mistrusts his own judgement and Dekker is still in the US, fetching Gerry. But now we also find out that there were one more person who reported Jenny Blackwood missing!
> 
> No one else than Elias Bouchard! Dun-dun-duuuun!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter!
> 
> -Lunan
> 
> PS. I'd also like to thank quantumducky who helped me with this chapter. ❤


	5. Friends' Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon is caught spying on Tim by Martin and while Gertrude finds out, she covers it and warns Jon to ruin his relationships in a devastating manner. Jon reconciles with Tim and Sasha.

Tim was the next one to investigate. It’s not that Jon wouldn’t trust him if he was the same guy he’s known in their years at Research. But he had to be sure that he could trust Tim. 

Right now, he was more than certain that perhaps Gertrude went around and sacrificed assistants for the “greater good”. Maybe to appease the monsters out there, to leave the archives in peace?

It’s possible...and that’d mean he was next.

Martin was nearly taken by Prentiss and then, all of them during the worm attack. Jon couldn’t afford to give his trust to anyone right now. Not Gertrude and not even his co-workers, in case his suspicions were right.

_ ‘I’m just keeping him safe, that’s all.’ _ Jon told himself as he made his stealth investigations. He has to make sure that nothing else would follow Tim as he went home for the day.  _ ‘One day he’ll thank me when he understands…’ _

He’s been digging into Tim’s background (not without a little guilt), just to make sure he wasn’t a monster under disguise. The very last thing they needed in the archives was a monster pretending to be their friend.

But Tim’s background pretty much checked out; he’s the same guy he used to share a desk with in Research. 

Then there was the question...why was Tim here? He has a First in Anthropology from Trinity College (a part of him scoffed, as a former student of Oxford) and he was successful in a major publishing house, climbing the ladder for five years. If Tim had such big success in that, why would he just leave that?

He could’ve become a chief editor or something. Why the institute? It wasn’t that great (no matter what Elias said about “esteemed, honorable founder”), to begin with and Jon joined because of personal reasons. 

“Why stay after everything with Prentiss?” Jon muttered in his tape recorder (which he hasn’t stolen from the stash, nope). “Is it just loyalty or is it just something-”

Jon nearly jumped out of his skin when the door opened abruptly. But it was just Martin to his relief. 

“Hey, I just wanted to check if you wanted a cup of tea?”

Jon was floored. “Uhh…”

“Oh, oh, sorry, are you recording? I, I thought you were done for the day?” Martin continued, looking a bit confused.

Jon searched for a quick excuse, panicking. “I-I was. I am. It’s…” He stammered out.

Martin’s eyes narrowed at the documents and photos, spread out on Jon’s desk next to the tape recorder. “Why do you have pictures of Tim?”

“It… it’s a performance review thing, going over some files for it.” Jon answered quickly, that was a good lie. Performance review, it was perfectly acceptable to look at employee files for that. If only he sounded more certain and  _ not stammering like a child. _

But Martin didn’t give up. “But that looks like a picture of his house?” He asked concerned and Jon’s brain short-circuited. He tried to get the papers out of Martin’s sight and made a rustling mess which he promptly shoved in his desk drawer.

“Confidential files that you… legally you shouldn’t really be looking at them” Jon interrupted him abruptly. “Please, er, please leave, Martin.” He added, trying to be more...polite.

“Right, right. Right, right…” Martin said and he was about to leave when he suddenly paused. “Did you want that tea?” He added.

Truth to be told, Jon really wanted that tea. But he couldn’t stay longer because it was nearly five and if he was still here after 17.15, Gertrude wouldn’t be happy. Plus, he needed to wrap up his supplemental. 

He shook his head. “No. Thank you, Martin.” The door closed as Martin finally left and Jon let out a heavy sigh. “I need to find a better place to do these recordings...end supplemental.”

And he turned off the tape recorder.

* * *

It grew only colder now and rain showers became more of an occurrence. Sasha was nearly never seen on the mornings without her yellow umbrella. Halloween wasn’t far away, but the mood in the archives was pretty gloomy. 

Martin was probably the worst off. He did the work Gertrude assigned him to, but he was having a rough time and Gertrude seemed to take that in consideration. 

“It’s the apartment, isn’t it?” Tim suggested when they were having lunch in the breakroom. “You need to leave Stockwell, Martin. It’s not healthy to stay in the place you were stuck for nearly two weeks!”

Martin shook his head. “I can’t. What if Jenny comes back? She’d get lost if I moved. But…” He seemed to consider it now. “...maybe she won’t ever come home.”

“Oh, Martin…” Sasha sighed sadly. “Don’t lose hope, maybe she will come back soon?”

He shook his head. “It’s been nearly a year, Sasha. I have to be realistic now; Jenny isn’t coming home ever.” Martin’s voice nearly cracked in the end. “M-maybe I should quit…”

“No!” Tim exclaimed, clearly upset. “Don’t quit, Marto! How will we have our lovely tea? Or your cozy hugs? How can we be a trio if our Martin Kartin Blackwood just  _ quits _ ?”

Martin couldn’t resist to snicker. “Kartin?”

“You still haven’t said what the K stands for.” Tim shrugged.

Sasha raised an eyebrow. “And if we knew, then it wouldn’t be a mystery.” She remarked with a smirk.

“Either way!” 

Martin jumped when Tim suddenly threw himself nearly over the table and grasped his shoulders with the hands, looking-no, staring somewhat intensely at him with a confident grin. 

“Don’t you worry, Martin!” Tim said smiling. “Jenny will come home. After all, there is no stronger bond than  _ siblings _ !”

A smile found itself in Martin’s face. If Tim had something like that with such confidence and certainty, then it must be true. 

Martin glanced at Sasha who nodded eagerly to show that she agreed. 

“You guys...thanks.” Martin said with a quivering voice, filled with gratitude. “I don’t know what I’ve done without you two…”

Not even five minutes later, Martin found himself in the middle of a grouphug with Tim and Sasha on each side.

* * *

It went a couple of days. Jon couldn’t get the tunnels out of his mind. He was pretty sure he'd just cleared Tim from his suspicions. No way Tim would actually be a monster with a human mask and plan to kill him. 

Gertrude just entered the office and handed over a couple of papers for him. “Here.” She said, short and straight to the point. She didn’t look...happy.

Jon read what the paper said. 

“The Magnus Institute Performance Reviewal of Archival Staff…” He read out. “Oh...ehrm...Gertrude-”

“You should thank your lucky star that it was Martin who told me along with Tim and Sasha.” Gertrude said slowly, glaring irritated at him. “I won’t be covering for you again, because of your stupidity.”

Jon’s temper nearly flared. “It’s not stupidity, it’s not paranoia if there are really monsters out there-!”

“It looks like paranoia for them and I can tell that Tim would be quite angry if I didn’t intervene. And there’s another thing called “subtlety”, something you should think about if you want to run around and play a supernatural Sherlock Holmes.”

Jon stared down at the paper, he couldn’t understand why Gertrude would help him out of the problem like that. “Why did you do it?”

“Because you need to learn where the limit is for a foolish paranoia.” Gertrude stated and crossed her arms, looking so displeased that Jon felt like shrinking in shame. “That is how you ruin friendships.  Keep this up and you will be alone, for good. No one will ever believe you again if you go too far.”

Jon thought about it. Did Gertrude just warn him from going too far in his investigation and most importantly, how did she know about those? Martin wouldn’t know what he was recording about. 

“Gertrude-”

“No one is here to kill you, Jonathan.” Gertrude said with finality. “Now, go and set up the flyer on the bulletin board, and then hand over the flyers to your friends. I’m not going to save your arse like this again.”

Jon stood up and left the office with the papers in hand, closing the door as Gertrude prepared to record another statement.

* * *

“You know what, that was a prick move.”

Jon jumped, just as he pinned up the flyer of “Performance Review Week - Archival Department” on the bulletin board. He turned around to see Tim, who looked less than happy.

“Ah...Tim.”

Tim didn’t smile which felt so out of character for him. “Looking at employee files is one thing, but at my house?! That’s called “being a paranoid ass”!”

“Tim!” Sasha exclaimed from her desk. “I told you to let it go, he’s just having a phase!”

_ “He was watching my house!” _

_ “It’s not a phase!”  _

They both shouted out their defenses at the same time. 

Sasha left her desk and walked straight to them. “Alright, Jon. We probably need to talk about this because Gertrude already knows you’re not doing great and we really don’t want Elias Bitchard to organize an intervention or something like that.”

Tim let out a snort at the insult of the “double boss”.

Jon sighed. “Fine...say your piece.”

“Good. How are you feeling?”

That...wasn’t what Jon expected. “What?”

“I said, how are you feeling?” Sasha repeated. “You should get therapy, we all should. I mean, after the Prentiss thing and all. And Dekker isn’t even here to handle the situation.”

Jon hesitated. He had nothing to fear from his co-workers, now when he’s worked out that none of them would actually hurt him and he has known both Tim and Sasha longer. “I…” He didn’t know how to tell this. “I...recently found out that Gertrude former assistants either died or went missing.” He finally confessed.

Tim looked a little alarmed, looking at the closed office door and back at them. 

Sasha didn’t even seem surprised. “Yeah, that’s odd...but you’re not running around and thinking she’s planning to sacrifice you to some fear god or what?”

Jon kept silent.

“Oh my god...you are thinking that, don’t you?!” Tim nearly laughed. “When are you getting off the spooky conspiration train, Jonny boy?”

“Don’t say spooky!” Jon hissed. “And not so loud! And it’s not paranoia if there are monsters out there, like Prentiss!”

Sasha sighed. “Jon, we’ve known each other since you set your foot here, basically. Do you really think me and Tim would let that happen? Even Martin?”

Jon’s train of thought stopped. Yes...they wouldn’t let that happen to him, would they? Tim, who had taken him under his wing since that first day as researcher and then Sasha, who had always helped him out when things were getting hard. 

And Martin, who went around and offered hot beverages and bought lunch for him whenever he forgot. Martin, who was technically the first one to be threatened by something paranormal and still survived by sheer willpower.

Jon felt awful. Terrible.

“...I’m a prick.” Jon muttered ashamed.

“Yeah, but you’re our prick.” Tim said with a grin, taking it as a joke per usual. “You know what you need? A day out, free from these stuffy old archives. You’re pent up after the whole terror and death thing and I know the best remedy for it!”

“Don’t say-”

“Drinks, Friday after work. I won’t take a no, Jonny boy!”

“Can you stop calling me that, I’ve told you that before. I don’t like it!” Jon snapped, irritated. “Anyways, I have to get back to work. Here.” He handed over the papers which were for Tim, Sasha and Martin to fill in.

“Don’t forget, drinks at friday!” Tim called after him. “I will kidnap you if you try to “forget” it!”

“Yes, yes. Alright.” Jon said and entered the office. Odd...he thought Gertrude was inside here. 

What a day, he thought to himself and nearly collapsed on his chair behind the desk. Too much happening at once. 

Jon was about to open up his laptop when he noticed...something alarming.

The trapdoor wasn’t locked. Cold dread settled within Jon when he realized it. Someone else must be in the tunnels beneath the archives. 

He made his choice. He was joining for drinks on Friday as he promised, but not too much. Saturday, he must break in and enter the tunnels. He must have answers to what was lurking in the dark tunnels or he’ll never get a moment of rest until then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES I KNOW I AM RIDICULOUSLY LATE
> 
> Honestly, this should've been up ages ago. But then a rather personal thing happened; I did a thing which is at a Paranoia-Jon level and ruined a lot of things. So I have mostly trying to keep this off because it hurt too much to think about it. But I've gotten better and I think I can manage this without any constructive advice from fellow writers.
> 
> Also for a while ago, I got a really awful comment on one of my works which really hurt my feelings. But I decided to keep writing. Not because of getting comments or something like that, but because I love writing. So there!
> 
> So! We're back on track and beware, for now is where the actual plot will start. Yes, things are very different than the pod because Sasha lives in this. But spooky horror is still gonna happen, so never fear! 
> 
> Don't forget to leave a nice comment if you want. Hope another update comes soon again. Bye-bye! ❤❤❤
> 
> -Lunan


End file.
